Lawrence Chaney

When Joan’s husband dies, she is shocked to discover he had invented an elixir which makes the drinker look young again. Sharing it with her two friends, the three women paint the town red but soon discover that they are no longer equipped to be young in the modern world.

Jack Docherty brings together a jam-packed cast of comedians, actors and famous faces for a riotous celebration of Scotland's most valuable export – its sense of humour. Scotland is a small nation with a big funny bone. It's known the world over for self-deprecation, quick-witted patter and deadpan asides. But what makes it so funny? To find out the answer, this programme delves deep into the BBC Scotland archives to find a century’s worth of classic characters, catchphrases and comedy clips.

Just 40 years ago it was illegal to be gay in Scotland, now the country is a leader in LGBTQ+ rights – and Glasgow is home to a thriving drag scene. This documentary takes a glimpse behind the make-up, wigs and corsets to find out what it takes to live a life in drag, why people do it and the daily battles drag queens still face, following three queens at different stages in their drag careers. Barbara La Bush, the self-proclaimed ‘oldest queen in Glasgow’, represents traditional end-of-the-pier drag. She must come to terms with ailing health and the insecurity of a working life spent on the clubs and pubs circuit. Lawrence Chaney, part of the Instagram generation of highly looks-focused performers, seeks approval from a mainstream culture that is out of her comfort zone. And new queen Voss must battle the prejudices of a job in the merchant navy as well as gain parental acceptance.